Senior Mentor Series – Meet Kelsey Randhawa & Benjamin Haire

Ben: I was born in Erie, PA and grew up in many different countries, including France, Czech Republic, China, Germany, and Sao Paulo. I went to law school in Cleveland; my father was from here so I decided to make Cleveland my home.

How did you learn about Minds Matter Cleveland?

Kelsey: I knew of Minds Matter from quite a few colleagues who were volunteers and members of the Executive Team. They reached out and set up meetings for me to learn more about the organization. When I got to meet the current volunteers at the time, I was convinced to join.

Ben: I learned about Minds Matter through a friend. He was on the Executive Team and invited me to join.

How long have you been a volunteer?

Kelsey: I have been a volunteer for 2 years, serving as a mentor and recently joined the Executive Team as an Assistant VP of College Admissions.

Ben: I have been a volunteer for 2.5 years. In addition to being a mentor, I also serve as VP of Volunteer Retention.

What do you like most about Minds Matter Cleveland?

Kelsey: I truly enjoy learning and exploring various aspects of Cleveland through the different types of people I get to meet at Minds Matter. The organization allows me to interact with individuals from all walks of life and network with like-minded young professionals. This gives me something to look forward to every Saturday!

Ben: There is a variety of things that I like about Minds Matter, such as being directly involved with an organization that has a concentrated interested in building the next generation of Cleveland via education. I also enjoy meeting and interacting with other young professionals who are very involved in the community.

Who are your mentees?

Kelsey and Ben: We have Aiyana and Rayne as our mentees.

What is/are the most rewarding part(s) of your mentoring experience?

Kelsey: For me, the most rewarding part is seeing the growth in my mentees, and watching them learn about possibilities and take on new opportunities in schools or jobs.

Ben: It has to be seeing my two mentees grow during high school so that they are now ready to head to college. They work very hard towards new goals each week. Being able to assist them in accomplishing those goals feels rewarding to me.

What surprised you the most about your mentees?

Kelsey:I was most surprised by how well-spoken, energetic, and welcoming they were! They had a mentor prior to me, but they still welcomed me with open arms. They bring a lot of joy and enthusiasm to a “sixth day of school,” which is surprising considered the fact that they are actually excited to be at our Saturday sessions.

Ben: I’ve been impressed with my mentees rather than being surprised. Aiyana does such a great job at performing well in school. Rayne is always timely on every assignment submittal; she’s also a skilled communicator and can be very persuasive.

How has Minds Matter Cleveland impacted your life?

Kelsey: Minds Matter Cleveland has given me the opportunity to work on my mentoring skills while learning from my mentees and gaining leadership experience outside of work.

Ben: The journey isn’t over yet for me, so I can’t compare or say that I have changed in some way. But my mentees do keep me up to date being up to date with slang and cool things happening, so I have that going…

What does the future look like for your mentorship with the students and your involvement with Minds Matter Cleveland after graduation?

Kelsey: I plan on continuing to stay in touch with my mentees and offer advice on classes to enroll in college as well as interpersonal troubles. As for involvement with Minds Matter, I would love to mentor again but I also want to be cognizant of how I spend my time effectively to serve as Assistant VP of College Admissions.

Ben: I would love to stay in touch with Aiyana and Rayne. I also plan to continue staying involved with Minds Matter, perhaps in a different capacity.